Means for transferring passengers and the like to and from moving trains.



\ Wit" emu .PATENTED MAR; 10,1908; F..,H. 0001:.

MEANS TFORQTRANSF-BRRING PASSBNGVERS AND THE LIKE .TO .AND FROM MOVINGTRAINS. APPLIOATION"IILED JULY 26, 1907.

THE NORRIS PETERS rm. WASHINGTON. IL c,

I PAT-ENTED MAR. 190s."

No.881.377. I 1e. H. 0001;.

(MEANS FORTRANSPERRING PASSENGBRS AND THE LIKE TO' AND FROM MOVINGTRAINS. v APPLIOATION rum) JULYBS, 1907.

3 SHBETB-SHBET 2.

avwontoz R's PETER G0" WASHINGT N. D C- N01. 881,377. PATENTED MAR-.10,190s.- -P-.H.c0oK.,

MEANS FORTRANSFBRRING PASSBNGERS AND THE LIKE TO AND FROM MOVING TRAINS.I APPLIOATIGNTILED JULY 26, 1901.

UNITED STATES PATENT onnron.

FRANCIS H. COOK, OF BUCKEYE, WASHINGTON.

MEANS FOR TRANSEERRING PASSENGERS AND "THE LIKE TO AND FROM MOVINGTRAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 10, 1908.

Application filed July 26,:1907. Serial No. 385,739.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. 000K, citizen of the United States,residing at Buckeye, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means forTransferring Passengers and the Like to and from Moving Trains, of whichthe following is a specification.

In railway systems for the transportation of passengers, baggage, exress and mail matter, or the like, as hereto ore maintained, it is wellknown that one of the serious factors to be dealt with is the stoppingand starting of trains at intermediate points along the main line forthe transfer of passengers, baggage, and the like from and to the trainsand stations. Not only has the necessity of stopping the train atstations between the terminal points involved a considerable loss oftime, but also has worked economic disadvantages in that more power mustbe expended in developing the speed from the inert train to the normalrunning condition between stations than is necessary to maintain thenormal running s eed of the train after it has once been estab ished.

With such conditions present, my invention has for its object novel anduseful means for transferring passengers, baggage or the like from andto rapidly moving trains, in an expeditious manner, without thenecessity of lstopping the trains at any station along the Td this end,my invention comprehends a series of main line transfer cars, one ofwhich is incorporated inthe train running along the I main line, and aseries of station transfer cars, one or more of which are provided foreach station along the road and that are adapted to'be run from thestation to meet an oncoming train and to be connected to and run alongwith the main line transfer car,

until the transfer of passengers and the like shall have been effected,at which time the station transfer car is uncoupled from the transfercar of the train and is propelled in any desired manner as by a thirdrail trolley system or any prime mover to the station to unload itspassengers, baggage, express and mail matter, the main train beingpermitted to continue past the station without stopping thereat.

The invention also consists in certain constructions, arrangements andcombinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describe andthen point out the novel features in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and of themeans for efiecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescri tion and accompanying drawings, in whic Figure 1 is a top planview in the nature of a diagram, illustrating my improved means fortransferring passengers and the like to and from moving trains; Fig. 2is a horizontal sectional view of the two cars employed; Fig. 3 is anend view of the transfer car; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of thetransfer cars; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view illustrating a the meansfor-connecting the said cars together; and, Fig. 6 is a detail viewillustrating the'end bars of the transfer vestibule.

Corresponding and like parts are referred in all the views of thedrawings by the same reference characters.

In carrying out my invention, I propose to extend in opposite directionsfrom each and every station alon track extending paralle with a mainline track, for a distance of several miles, according as judgment maydictate. Upon this auxiliary track, the station transfer car is to -toin the following deseriptlon and indicated a the main line, a

be run from the station to meet the oncoming train, in one direction orthe other, according from which direction the oncoming train'is aproaching.

n the drawin s, the numeral 1 designates a main line trac 2 theauxiliary or station track, 3 the main line transfer car which forms apart of the train running along the main line, and 4 thestation transfercar which is adapted to be run out by any suitable source of power tomeet the train with the car 3, and which is also arranged to beconnected to said car 3 and run alongside thereof until the transfer hasbeen made.

As one means for rigidly connecting together the two transfer cars 3 and4, I have provided a coupling bar 5 which extends laterally from one endof the longitudinally extending shaft or rod 6 journaled in bearings 7at one end of the main line transfer car 3 and reinforced by a coilspring 8 which encircles the rod 6 so as to permit a sufiicient yieldingmovement and to absorb any shock resulting from the coupling together ofany two cars. Y

9 designates a handle which may be manipulated by any member of thetrain crew, so as to turn the shaft 6 about its longitudinal axis andswing the coupling bar 5 outwardly and downwardly into engagement withthe upwardly facing socket in the keeper 10 ex tending longitudinallyfrom the corresponding end of the station transfer car 4. By this means,the two cars 3 and 4.- may be quickly coupled together when the stationtransfer car has been run out from the station to meet the oncomingtrain and has taken up a position alongside of the main line transfercar and is running in the same direction therewith.

The main line transfer car 3 is provided in its side with a series ofdoorways, preferably 4 in number and at substantially equidistantintervals, said doorways being designated A, B, C and D. The stationtransfer car 4 is provided with a series of corresponding doorways A, B,C and D adapted to register with the doorways A, B, C and D. In order toestablish a vestibule between the two cars 3 and 4, one of the cars, forinstance, the main line transfer ear 3 is provided with a platform 11extending along its exterior and along one side thereof, said platformbeing mounted on a longitudinally extending shaft or rod 12 and being,when not in use, held in a vertical position up along the side of thecar. When the two cars are coupled together, this platform 11 is swungdownwardly towards the opposite car. Said platform is provided with aseries of gang ways 13, one for each of the doors, said gang ways beingpreferably provided with end railings 14. The said railings beingsupported on transversely extending braces 14 which constitute footguards for the passengers. To swing the platform 11 up or down, I mayprovide a lever 15 intended to be operated y one of the train crew.

A chain, or chains 16 are operatively connected at one end to theplatform 11 and extend upwardly and outwardly over a pulley or pulleys17 and are connected at their opposite ends to the roof .18 of thetransfer vestibule. This roof is extended longitudinally along the car,as shown, and when not in use, is swung down along the outside of thecar. When the platform 11 is lowered, the connection between the sameand the roof 18 of the vestibule will swing the latter outwardly andupwardly so as to form a covering for the vestibule. To close the endsof the transfer vestibule, I have provided end wings or doors 19 pivotedor hinged to swing about vertical axes and fastened in place by thebolts 20.

21 designates chains which may be strung across the different doorwaysof the transfer car, so as to prevent passengers from passing out untilall the arrangements for their trans fer have been completed, whereuponthe chains may be unhooked at their ends by one of the attendants.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be evident that when the stationtransfer car has beencoupled to the main line transfer car and the transfer vestibule formedbetween the two transfer cars, passengers, express and mail matter orbaggage may be quickly and expeditiously transferred from one car to theother while the train maintains its normal high speed. In the preferredarrangement, there are four doors, as hereinafter illustrated. By theprovision of this number of doors for the two cars, it will be seen thatthe passengers desiring to alight may )ass from the car 3 to the car 4through the doorways A, A and that the outgoing passengers from thestation may pass from the car 4 to the car 3 through the doorways B, B,while the in-coming mails, baggage and express matter are being wheeledor otherwise transported through the doors D, D, and the ill-goingpassengers through the doors C, C. By this arrangement, there will be nointerference and the transfer may be very quickly made. As soon as thetransfer shall have been effected, the uncoupling of the cars may bequickly accomplished and the train continue its journey, while the station transfer car proceeds to the station and discharges its load.

While I have herein shown and described the transfer vestibule forming apart of the main line transfer car, it is obvious that my invention isnot limited thereto, but that the parts of the vestibule may be carriedby the station transfer car instead.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: g

l. The herein-described means for transferring passengers and the likefrom and to a rapidly moving train, comprising a main line transfer carin the train, a station transfer car adapted to parallel the main linetransfer car, means for connecting said two transfer cars together, anda transfer vestibule between said two cars, the said cars being prwvided with side doors communicating with said vestibule.

2. The herein-described means for transferring passengers and the liketo and from a rapidly moving train, consisting of a transfer car in thetrain, a station transfer car adapted to be run out to meet the train,means for directly connecting together the main line transfer car andthe station trans fer car, the said cars being provided with fourregistering side doorways, gang ways adapted to extend from one doorwayto the doorway opposite, and means for moving the said gang ways intoand out of operative position.

3. The herein-described means for transferring passengers and the liketo and from rapidly moving trains, comprising two trans,.

fer cars, one in the train and the other adapted to parallel the one inthe train, the said two cars being provided with registering sidedoorways, and a platform'hinged to the side of one of the said cars andextending continuously from doorway to doorway, said plat- 7 form beingprovided with gang ways adapted uously from doorway to doorway, saidplatform being provided with gangways adapted to extend into theopposite doorways, means for swinging said platform, and a hinged coverextending alongside of one of said cars and adapted to form a roof forsaid latform.

5. The herein-described means or transferring passengers and the like toand from rapidly moving trains, comprising two transfer cars, one in thetrain and the other adapted to arallel the one in the train, the saidtwo cars being provided with registering side doorways, and a platformhinged to the side of one of the said cars and extending continuouslyfrom doorway to doorway, said platform being provided with gangwaysadapted to extend into the opposite doorways, means for swinging saidlatform, a hinged cover extending alongsi e of one of said cars andadapted to form a roof for said platform, and a connection between saidplatform and cover designed to efiect the simultaneously swinging ofsaid platform and cover toeither operative or inoperative position.

6. The herein-described means for transferring passengers and the liketo and from a rapidly moving train, consisting of a main line transfercar in the train, a station transfer car adapted to be run out from thestation and'parallel to the main line transfer car, a vestibule adaptedto extend from one transfer car to the other to ermit of the interchangeof passengers and the like, a connecting bar journaled on one of saidtransfer cars, the other car being provided with a keeper designed toreceive said coupling bar, and means for moving said coupling bar intoand out of engagement with said keeper, whereby to directly couple anduncouple one transfer car with or from the other.

7 The herein-described means for transferring passengers and the like toand from a rapidly moving train, consisting of a main line transfer carin the train, a station transfer car adapted to be run out from thestation and parallel to the main line transfer car, a vestibule adaptedto extend from one transfer car to the other to permit of theinterchange of passengers and the like, a connecting bar journaled onone of said transfer cars, the other car being provided with a keeperdesigned to receive said coupling bar, means for moving said couplingbar into and out of engagement with said keeper, means for moving saidactuating bar into or out of engagement with the keeper, and a springconnected to said coupling bar and permitting the yielding thereof.

8. The herein-described means for transferring passengers and the liketo and from rapidly moving trains, consisting of a main line transfercar in the train, a station transfer car desi ned to be run out from astation and paralleI the main line transfer car, and a vestibuleextending alongside one of said cars and adapted to establishcommunication with the other car, said vestibule comprising a hingedplatform, hinged roof and hinged end doors, and means for swinging thesame into and out of operative positions.

9. In means for transferring passengers and the like from a rapidlymoving train, the combination of the two transfer cars, and means forvestibuling the space between said cars.

10. In means for transferring passengers and the like from a rapidlymoving train, the combination of the two transfer cars, means forvestibuling the space between said cars, and hinged platforms andgangways to unite the said cars.

11. In means for transferring passengers and the like to and from arapidly moving train, a transfer car provided on either side with meansfor vestibuling the space between it and another car, and with hingedplatforms and gangways to unite the cars.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCIS H. COOK.

Witnesses:

ED. B. POWELL, G110. W. BELT.-

